Railway draft rigging



April 17, 1934.

W. J. REGAN ET AL RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Filed March 5, 1928 gwumtoz Ill Illllllllll l r "ll-Ill" Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING William J. Regan,

Wilkinsburg,

and Enoch Application March 5, 1928, Serial No. 259,202

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a railway draft rigging and particularly to means affording a flexible connection between a car coupler and a draft yoke of the horizontal type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a construction permitting the coupler to swing laterally and which will enable a standard coupler to be substituted in an emergency for the special design of swinging coupler when the latter is not available.

The primary feature of the invention, generally stated, consists in employing a horizontal draft yoke between whose arms is interposed a bearing block to which the rear end of the car coupler is pivotally connected so as to swing laterally, the bearing block being associated with the yoke so as to directly communicate draft forces thereto.

A further feature of the invention consists in interposing between the horizontally spaced arms of a draft yoke, a bearing block which is pivotally connected to a car coupler, the block being removably mounted upon the yoke and being adapted to have shouldered engagement so as to communicate draft forces directly thereto and the bearing block being adapted to transmit buffing forces to the cushioning device carried by the yoke.

Another feature of the invention consists in interposing a bearing block between the horizontally spaced arms of the draft yoke and in pivotally connecting a car coupler to the bearing block by a pin in quadruple shear, the yoke and block having cooperating inclined shoulders whereby draft forces are communicated to the yoke from the block, and the latter being formed with laterally projecting portions which engage the arms of the yoke to thereby support the block.

In the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of a draft rigging embodying the invention, portions of the coupler and yoke being broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of a construction shown in Figure 1, the pivot pin and a portion of the coupler being shown in elevation and a follower block of the well known Farlow type being illustrated in dot and dash lines in conjunction therewith.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the yoke and bearing block shown in Figure l, the parts being in assembled relation.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified form of draft rigging embodying the invention, portions of the coupler and yoke being omitted.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view of a mod- Q ified form of yoke ends or straps suitable for use with either of the forms of bearing blocks illustrated in the drawing.

Figure 'Zis a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 6.

The draft yoke arms or straps in each of the forms of the invention illustrated in the drawing are of the horizontal type, that is to say, the arms are disposed in horizontal alinement and are spaced apart suniciently to receive a cushion- 0-. ing unit between them in the well known way.

In the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, each of the arms 1 of the yoke 2 is fashioned on its inner side at the forward end with a lug or projection 3, whose rear face 4 is inclined or undercut to correspond with a cooperating bevelled shoulder or seat 5 formed on a bearing block 6 slidably mounted between the yoke arms; such construction preventing the forward ends of the yoke arms 1 from spreading when subjected to draft forces. The yoke arms I prefer ably have key slots 7 of the usual form to receive a standard key (not shown) adapted to pass through the usual slot of a Farlow follower block 8; and the rear face of the bearing block 6 is preferably centrally recessed, as at 9, to accommodate the stud with which the follower block 8 is commonly provided at its forward end.

The car coupler 10 is pivotally connected to the bearing block 6 by means of a vertically dis- 9 posed pin 11 which extends through the coupler and bearing block only and thus serves to communicate all draft forces from the coupler directly to the block. To insure a strong and efficient pivotal connection, the rear end of the stem 5 of the coupler 10 is bifurcated to afford vertically spaced apertured pivot lugs 12 which intermesh with correspondingly apertured spaced pivot lugs 13, 14 and 15 respectively formed on the forward end of the bearing block 6. The pivot pin 11, which extends through the alined apertures of the several lugs, may advantageously be of the headless type and be supported by a horizontally extending pin 16 projecting therethrough and through a suitably apertured boss 1'7 formed on the under surface of the bearing block. The rear ends of the pivot lugs 12 of the car coupler are curved cylindrically so as to have an extended area of contact against correspondingly curved seats 18 of the bearing block 1 0 6 in all positions of lateral displacement the coupler may assume in service. As shown more particularly in Figure 2, the parts are preferably formed so that a small amount of clearance is allowed between the forward side of the pivot pin 11 and the adjacent faces of the pivot lugs 12 of the coupler, and also between the forward curved face 19 of the bearing block pivot lug 14 and the adjacent curved surface 20 of the coupler, the pivot pin 11 thus being relieved of the strain of bufling forces.

At its upper end the bearing block 6 is formed with outwardly projecting portions 21 which extend over the corresponding arms 1 of the yoke when the parts are in assembled relation, the yoke thus serving to support the bearing block and the latter in turn supporting the rear end of the coupler shank 10. The yoke 2 may be supported and retained in assembled position on the car by the usual key which passes through the slots '7 of the yoke arms.

In assembling the device the bearing block is inserted between the yoke arms from above and brought into engagement with the inwardly projecting lugs 3 at the forward end of the yoke. After the cushioning unit has been placed in position between the yoke arms and the device, as thus assembled, has been raised to its position between the sills of the car, the coupler 10 may be pivotally connected to the bearing block 6 by means of the pivot pin 11.

The car coupler 10, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, is like that forming part of the mechanism disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but the bearing block 22 and the draft yoke 23 associated therewith are of slightly modified construction. In the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 the horizontally spaced arms 24 of the yoke are provided above and below near their forward ends with vertically extending lugs 25 which overlap neighboring partsof the bearing block 22 so as to receive draft forces communicated from the latter. The yoke arms 24 are also provided with horizontally alined key slots 26 adapted to receive a key so as to enable a standard coupler to be connected to the draft yoke 23 in case a coupler having the special form of shank 10 is unavailable whenever repairs are required to be made. It will be understood, of course, that when a standard coupler is substituted for the special coupler 10, the bearing block is temporarily dispensed with.

In addition to being formed at its upper end with lateral projections or flanges 27 projecting over the yoke arms 24, the bearing block 22 is provided at its lower end with an additional pair of lateral projections 27 which extend under the yoke arms, the block 22, when in assembled position, thereby being supported against vertical movement in both directions. As in the case of the construction described, the rear end of the coupler stem 10 is pivotally connected to the bearing block 22 by means of a pivot pin 11, the coupler being fashioned with pivot lugs 12 and the bearing block being formed with pivot lugs 13, 14 and 15 respectively, corresponding in form and function to the similar parts shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The bearing block 22 may be employed with any of the forms of the yoke illustrated in the drawing, as the rear vertically extending portion thereof is curved, as indicated at 28, so as to permit the block to be inserted between the yoke arms either from above or below and then turned so as to assume proper operative position. The remaining details of construction of the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be, and preferably are, the same as those embodied in the preceding figures of the drawing and such details have therefore been identified by corresponding reference numerals.

The form of yoke arm or strap 29 illustrated in Figures 6 and '7 is adapted to be used with either the bearing block 6 or the bearing block 22. Each yoke arm 29 is provided on its inner face with a lug 30 for cooperating with the forward face of the bearing block with which it is employed, the said lug being intersected by a slot 31 adapted to receive a key permitting a coupler of standard form to be connected to the yoke. To the rear of the slot 31 each yoke arm 29 is also preferably provided with a slot 32 to receive a key such as is employed in case a follower of the Farlow type is used. As shown, the rear face 33 of the lug 30 is inclined to cooperate with the correspondingly bevelled face 5 of the bearing block 6.

We claim:

1. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a yoke having a pliuality of horizontally spaced arms, of a car coupler having a stem, a member operatively interposed between the yoke and car coupler for permitting pivotal movement of the latter, the said member being loosely mounted on the yoke and being integrally formed with oppositely disposed projections overlapping the respective arms of the yoke to provide means for supporting said member on said yoke, and means pivotally connecting the coupler to the said member, the latter having overlapping engagement with the yoke so as directly to communicate draft forces thereto and being adapted to communicate buffing forces to a cushioning device adapted to be carried by said yoke.

2. A railway draft rigging involving a yoke having a plurality of horizontally spaced arms, a car coupler, a member carried by the yoke and movable with respect thereto and having shouldered engagement with the latter so as to communicate draft forces thereto, and a pin pivotally connecting the coupler to said member, the said member and the coupler having overlapping portions through which the pin extends and whereby the latter is placed in quadruple shear.

3. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a yoke having a plurality of horizontally spaced arms, of a car coupler having a stem, a member operatively interposed between the yoke and coupler for permitting pivotal movement of the latter, the said member having lateral projections which overlap the arms of the yoke so as to support said member, and means pivotally connecting the coupler to said member for transmitting draft forces to the latter, the said member being slidable with respect to said yoke arms.

4. A railway draft rigging involving a yoke having a plurality of horizontally spaced arms, a car coupler, a member operatively interposed between the yoke and coupler for permitting pivotal movement of the latter, and means pivotally connecting the coupler to said member, said yoke and said member having shouldered engagement permitting draft forces to be communicated to the yoke and the said member being integrally provided with laterally projecting portions which engage the arms of the yoke to support said member.

5. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a yoke having spaced arms in horizontal alinement, of a coupler having a stem, a member detachably carried by said arms and operatively interposed between the yoke and coupler and slidable rearwardly with respect to the yoke in buifing, said member and said yoke being provided with overlapping shoulders serving as means for communicating draft forces from said member to the yoke, and means pivotally connecting the coupler to the said member for directly transmitting draft forces to the latter.

6. A railway draft rigging involving a yoke having horizontally alined spaced arms, a car coupler having a stem, a member carried by the yoke and slidable rearwardly with respect thereto in bufiing, said member being interposed between said arms and being supported thereby, and means passing through and pivotally connecting said stem to said member, said yoke and said member having overlapping shoulders adapted to engage each other during draft movement of said coupler to transmit draft forces to the yoke.

'7. In railway draft rigging, the combination of a coupler, a yoke, and means for connecting said yoke and coupler, said means including a bearing block slidable relative to said yoke and non-rotatively engageable with said yoke for transmittal of draft forces, and means for pivotally securing said coupler to said block.

8. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a yoke having bearing members disposed thereon, a coupler associated with said yoke and movable with respect thereto, a bearing member pivotally connected to said coupler and movable therewith with respect to said yoke, means on said yoke for preventing movement of said bearing member other than translation, said bearing member and coupler having complementary bearing faces engageable over a substantially constant area regardless of the relative position of said coupler and yoke, said bearing member having members non-rotatively engaging said first named bearing members for transmitting draft stresses to said yoke.

WILLIAM J. REGAN. ENOCH GEORGE, JR. 

